IKEA Greenwich: is it worth the HYPE?

Hi everyone, you may have seen lots of press about the new IKEA Greenwich store opening last month and wondered what the fuss was all about. I wanted to know, “is it worth the hype?”

If you didn’t know what the current Swedish ‘It’ word is, it’s “LAGOM”, meaning just about the right amount”. IKEA Live LAGOM is a 4-year programme designed to get their customers to be sustainable at home whilst empowering and sharing ideas and tips to living a LAGOM way of life.

Let’s get down to business. Is this store “worth the hype”? Let’s start with the basics…

What can you expect to see in the store?

Helen Aylett, IKEA Greenwich Store Manager, said: “We are incredibly excited that Greenwich will be home to our first leading sustainable store in the UK. We want to inspire and enable more people to live a better everyday life at home and we look forward to inviting our customers and the local community to enjoy a unique IKEA experience that puts their needs and lifestyles first.”

“Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at IKEA. We want to be a force for change by having a lasting, positive impact on people and the planet,” said Hege Sæbjørnsen, Country Sustainability Manager, IKEA UK & Ireland.“IKEA is playing a key role in the shift towards a circular economy, and the new Greenwich store will be a leading example for circular retail in London as we aim to inspire and enable people to live a more sustainable life at home and support them to reuse, refresh or recycle their products.”

IKEA Greenwich will be taking sustainability to the next level and is targeting a BREEAM ‘outstanding’ accreditation, incorporating a number of green technologies such as solar panels, rainwater harvesting, renewable construction materials and a geothermal heating system. The store is aiming to achieve 100% renewable energy and the interior will feature lots of natural light, reducing a dependence on artificial lighting.

Transport:

First Impressions - let’s start off with transport, did you know the new store has easy access by London transport with flexible options from renting a bike Zaps to renting an electric cab service from chetter cabs which is £15 for 1-hour journey home, much cheaper but also greener options than your arrange cab services. Think of all the times when cabs were too expensive to bring your beloved IKEA products home, well you can nowcome to IKEA Greenwich, order your products and have them delivered within 24 hours. Absolutely fabulous!

The Neighbourhood:

The space… OMG I am so in love! The new store is so light and airy and uses a lot more natural outdoor light than any other IKEA store. You’ll also continue to find the store is full of inspiration. Here is what one of the customers had to say,

“This room drew me in because of the way it was organised. We live in a small space so having examples of how everything is displayed, like the sitting area for dining and cooking, to seeing ideas on how to store foods, gave us ideas of how we can do this at home”.

Don't take my word for it, here's what IKEA Greenwich Customers had to say:

“IKEA is famous for using tiny spaces to inspire the homes of everyday people across the country. This store takes it to the next level to something we have never seen before. The way everything is displayed, it really continues to provide us with even more ideas. Have you seen the neighbourhood show rooms? The just give so many examples of what is possible - we love it” Sebastian Thevasagayam, IKEA Greenwich Customer"

“When I visit other places, I often find them bulky and packed but with this store its arrangement feels as though it has a purpose and I love the sustainiblty messages throughout the store, encouraging us to take steps to become sustainable at home.” Name

“If you are thinking about developing a business IKEA have a genius way displaying the really chic, realistic and super inspirational neighbours with examples of a florist, cafe, a barbers, offices and apartments to name a few. Did you know you can get a loan from IKEA to make your dream storefront come true? You just need to speak to a representative today in store.” " Shanaz Hadgie, IKEA Greenwich Customer"

Dining Area: Reducing Plastics

For everyone who wants to reduce their plastic intake, at IKEA Greenwich all of their dining area furniture, comes from bamboo and other recyclable materials - no plastics, and all packaging is upcycled in the magical place called The Learning Lab. The Learning Labs host free workshops to help you learn to make different things from upcycling old items to new and fun workshops for kids during the holidays. Check it out!

The Learning LAB

“We always want to be more plastic conscious, so we love the downstairs bistro serving the meatballs and chips in cardboard. The drinks were also in card with no plastic tops, even the forks were wooden. I haven’t seen that any other food places plus I also saw many signs about being sustainable and I am glad that it is in these main steam stores because everything in plastic isn’t just thrown away. IKEA is demonstrating their commitment to reduce their plastic use, from leading by example for customers to follow".

"Emma Rutherford, IKEA Greenwich Customer"

Is it worth the Hype?

There are many things that have impressed me with this new green store, but one thing I want you to take away is this, this new IKEA store is the first of its kind in terms of sustainability. What other company has walked the walk by not only listening to their customers, but also taking actions to develop this store - it’s the most sustainable IKEA store in the UK - definitely “worth the hype”!